Shangula ‘s Letter to President Geingob ends Haufiku’ s tenure.

Windhoek, Aug 3 – President Geingob today Sacked the former Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Benhard Haufiku as a Special Advisor on Health Matters in the office of the Presidency. According to Dr. Haufiku, he received a letter this morning delivered to him by H. E Dr. Nangolo Mbumba vice president of the Republic of Namibia from the President. The letter has three attachments :his appointment as the special advisor, a copy of the Windhoek observer with his picture on it and a letter from the Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Kalumbi Shangula requesting the president to remove Dr. Haufiku as he is not a team player.

In a statement released this afternoon the presidency outlines why the President decided to remove Dr. Haufiku as Minister of Health and Social Services on 20 December 2018 and today as the Advisor on health matters in the office of the Presidency:

Dr Haufiku When he was a Minister of Health and Social Services:

Dr. Haufiku could not work effectively within the team, and was in conflict with the Deputy Minister and the Executive Director he had requested to be on boarded. Several meetings with the top executive leadership of the country notwithstanding, Dr. Haufiku did not demonstrate the ethos of collective responsibility as enjoined by the Cabinet
Handbook. Dr. Haufiku continued to speak out of turn with the press, in
contravention of responsibilities as a member of the Executive and the Cabinet
collective.
Due to the above On 20 December 2018, the President terminated the appointment of Dr. Haufiku as Minister of Health and Social Services, reassigning him to the position
of Special Advisor on Health and Social Services Matters in the Office of the Vice
President.

Dr Haufiku as a Special Advisor :

The extensive brief of Dr. Haufiku as Special Advisor included the
provision of Strategic Advice to the Minister, Deputy Minister and Executive
Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in order to improve the
public health system and service delivery. In carrying out this important
mandate, Dr. Haufiku was expected to work harmoniously with the executive
team of the Ministry under the leadership of Honorable Kalumbi Shangula. It is in
continuity of the role of Special Advisor on Health Matters that Dr. Haufiku was
nominated as Focal Point on COVID-19 under the supervision of the Minister of
Health and Social Services, who serves as the designated spokesperson on health
and COVID-19 related matters.
On 24 July 2020, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Kalumbi
Shangula recommended to the President the withdrawal of Dr. Haufiku from the
Ministry of Health and Social Services pursuant to incidences of causing “discord
among team members” and “disclosure of information” discussed during
strategic meetings with the “media without prior clearance.” Moreover, the
conduct of Dr. Haufiku was viewed as “a distraction from the core responsibility
of managing the pandemic (COVID-19) successfully”.

In that vein, the Head of
State applied his mind and terminated on 30 July 2020 the appointment of Dr.
Bernard Haufiku as Special Advisor by virtue of the powers vested in the
President by Article 32 (6) of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia.
The President wishes to thank Dr. Bernard Haufiku for his contributions
during his tenure as Special Advisor.

NDN Reporter